A.I. the answer to Magic woes

Thunder at Magic, tonight, 7 (Sun) - COMMENTARY

There's no satisfaction in second place. Been there, done that. Isn't that the first loser, anyway?

Break free from your image as a goody-two shoes franchise run by the Amway king, and bring some attitude into the huddle with the dysfunctional king of the NBA.

Sign Allen Iverson.

The Answer is your answer.

Anybody else know of another 10-time All-Star and league MVP who is available at the moment? Cheap, too. We're talking Dollar Store prices in the NBA economy, because Iverson becomes an unrestricted free agent tonight after his release by the Memphis Grizzlies.

All Rich DeVos has to do is cut a check for $1.8 million, take a deep breath, and not get too caught up in the specifics of Iverson's problems. Selfish, disruptive, petulant, among other adjectives, come to mind.

So what? Orlando doesn't need him for the whole year. The Magic just need him to fill in for point guard Jameer Nelson, who is now officially one of the most fragile players in the NBA. He is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Anybody else see a pattern? Nelson missed the last 35 games of the regular season in 2008-09 because of a shoulder injury. He was on the inactive list for 11 games the previous year for various ailments. Maybe Jameer is just a fragile fit in a big man's world, but there's been a lot of snap, crackle and pop in his NBA career.

And there are no guarantees that Nelson will be good to go after six weeks.

The Magic could probably get by without him and not suffer terrible consequences. They did win the Eastern Conference title without him last year. But both Boston and Cleveland have improved this season, and the ride to the Finals is going to be much rougher.

So who do you want behind the wheel -- erratic Jason Williams, who turns 34 today, 35-year-old Anthony Johnson, or a 10-time all-star and league MVP?

Iverson is indeed Mr. Crazy Pants. He hates practiss and wears on coaches because of his stubbornness. But here's what General Manager Otis Smith should tell Iverson.

"We will sign you for the minimum. If you play nice, you can stick around even after Jameer gets healthy. You want an NBA title? This is the place to be. But if you're a jerk, we'll drop you off at the Amtrak station and send you to Nowhereland. Pout all you want. Guess what? Nobody cares."

High reward. Little risk.

And Smith isn't ruling out the possibility, by any stretch. "He's still out there, isn't he?" he told the Sentinel's Brian Schmitz on Tuesday.

Face it, it's going to be a fun ride. The Magic will officially lead the league in tattoos (swallow your pride Mr. DeVos, it's a generational thing) and Magic time outs are going to be the place to be in the NBA. Think of the convergence of combustible coach Stan Van Gundy with combustible player Allen Iverson. Oh-ya!

Iverson's chippy attitude isn't necessarily a bad thing, either. The Magic have a decent record at 8-3, but they're kind of sputtering along. Van Gundy used the word "malaise" to describe his team the other night.

Iverson will ratchet up this team's defensive intensity. Iverson will force teams into making tough decisions on the break. Iverson will shake things up in the locker room.

All of this is good.

If Iverson lapses into his petulant rants, then cut him loose. But Iverson should realize that this is his last shot at redemption, a chance to make people forget about much of the other nonsense that's been pervasive in his career.

It's happened before with other misfits. Anybody heard any noise from Randy Moss since he joined the New England Patriots? Wasn't Stephon Marbury a good guy for the Boston Celtics last year in the playoffs? Ron Artest has gone from bad seed in Indiana to a solid (and tough) citizen in Houston and Los Angeles.

The Magic and Iverson need each other. They both need redemptive makeovers. Iverson needs to be softer. The Magic need to be tougher.